National Assembly resumes sitting with focus on vetting of Ruto’s nominees, tax amendment bills
Among the top priorities is the approval hearings for candidates nominated for various governmental positions, including Principal Secretaries, Cabinet Secretaries and those for Diplomatic roles.
Members of the National Assembly are set to resume sitting today, April 1, 2025, after a brief recess, with several key legislative matters on the agenda.
Among the top priorities is the approval hearings for candidates nominated for various governmental positions, including Principal Secretaries, Cabinet Secretaries and those for Diplomatic roles.
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National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed relevant parliamentary committees to submit their reports on the vetting of President William Ruto’s nominees for Principal Secretary positions by April 22.
Among those nominated are Caroline Kangu for the State Department for East African Community Affairs and Ouma Oluga, who is set to take over the State Department for Medical Services, pending parliament’s approval.
Stephen Isaboke was nominated as PS for the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Fikirini Jacobs was picked as PS for the State Department for Devolution and Youth, and Judith Pareno was nominated for the State Department of Justice, Human Rights, and Constitutional Affairs.
Other than the vetting, the consideration of various Bills, including the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2025, are also among the agenda.
Wetang’ula has instructed the House Business Committee to fast-track the consideration of both bills in accordance with Standing Order 42(2).
The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, which was published on March 13, 2025, seeks to amend the Value Added Tax Act, Cap. 476, to clarify the commencement date of exemptions granted on capital goods for investment in manufacturing valued at no less than Sh2 billion, with a focus on exemptions that were granted before January 1, 2024.
In a notification issued on March 26, 2025, Speaker Wetang’ula confirmed that the Bill had matured for its First Reading and has been designated as a priority.
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning is expected to consider it and present its report after the Assembly reconvenes.
“Enacting this Bill will remove ambiguities in tax exemptions, providing a more predictable tax regime for investors in the manufacturing sector,” Wetang’ula said in the notification.
The Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2025, published on March 18, 2025, is another priority. It proposes the removal of excise duty on imported, fully assembled electric transformers, thereby reducing costs for investors in the power sector. The move is expected to enhance investment in the sector by lowering import costs, which will help improve electricity distribution infrastructure across the country.
“These amendments are critical for boosting the power sector’s investment potential by alleviating the high costs of transformer imports,” Wetang’ula added.
Further, the National Assembly will also review the Division of Revenue Bill, 2025, which determines how revenue collected by the National Government will be shared with County Governments in the 2025/26 financial year.
The National Treasury has proposed Sh2,419.4 billion for the National Government and Sh405.1 billion for County Governments, marking an increase of Sh17.6 billion from the previous year.
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